At the top of his list is addressing President Donald Trump’s priority to strengthen the U.S. military presence along the southern border and reviewing whether active-duty forces should be used

The new defense secretary’s goals run counter to the military’s apolitical tradition and efforts to build a force that mirrors America.

ANALYSIS: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel all have their hearings next week, Eric Garcia reports

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s defense secretary late Friday in a dramatic tie-breaking vote, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.